Hand-stamp.



No. 638,l87. Patented Nov. 28," um.

R. H. SMITH.

' HAND STAMP.

(Application filed June 14, 1898.)

(No Model.)

mmwltom l/qhtmaom Rzch an? E Sm 1277/ Ihvrrnn STATES RICHARD HALE SMITH, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

HAND-STAlVI P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,187, dated November 28, 1899.

Application 95331118 1898- Serial No. 632,534. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD HALE SMITH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hand- Stamps, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to that class of rubber stamps having an elastic cushion between the printing-die and the stamp-head; and my object is to provide a cushion for such stamps which will fulfil its office more satisfactorily then those heretofore made.

My object is, further, to provide a construc tion wherein the elastic cushion is rendered more elastic or yielding at one or more of its edges than in the central portion thereof, so as to avoid blurring, which often results when the cushion is of the same elasticity throughout.

My object is, further, to produce a construction of cushion for hand-stamps by the employment of which the resulting imprint is of uniform character throughout regardless of the fact whether the printing-die is carried down evenly upon the paper or not.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by the construction herein shown.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wood-mount rubber hand-stamp provided with my improved cushion. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a molding-mount rubber hand-stamp provided with my improved cushion. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of one form of my improved cushion. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are end elevations of metal-mount rubber hand-stamps provided with different forms of my improved cushion. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a handstamp, showing another form of my improved cushion. Figs. 9 and 10 are end and side elevations of a rubber hand-stamp, showing a modified form ofmy improved cushion in that it is formed with an inward pitch at both sides and ends.

In detail, aindicates the plate or block upon which the cushion is mounted; b, a handle; a, cushion, and d printing-die.

The construction and operation of my device will be readily understood upon reference to the drawings in connection with the description herein.

In the operation of printing with rubber hand-stamps the die-stamp cannot always be struck down exactly true upon the paper or other surface to be printed upon, and it is evident that either one edge or the other of the printing-die Will strike first before the stamp rights itself and makes acontact with the whole printing-surface, and in this way the outside line or portion of the die which strikes first receives more pressure than the rest of the die, which often results in an uneven imprint, and this of course is objectionable, as such imprint does not present the desired harmonious appearance. Myinvention is designed to avoid this objectionable feature by so constructing the cushion that it is more yielding at one or more of its edges than in the rest of the cushion, so that notwithstanding the fact that such edge is first brought in contact with the surface being printed upon the imprint Will be uniform throughout, because of the fact that the edge being more yielding gives way under pressure and the type mounted upon that portion of the cushion will not be subjected to a larger degree of pressure than the remainder of type upon the die, and at the same time, as will readily be seen, the desirable and eX- trenne care heretofore required in bringing the printing-die squarely down upon the surface is unnecessary, and a uniform imprint may be made more readily than if the cushion was not more yielding at its edge than in its central portion.

While the simplest form of cushion having an edge more yielding than the body portion is constructed as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 7-that is, flaring downwardly from the top to the bottomit will readily be seen that a cushion having a double flaresuch, for instance, as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, and 6-will accomplish the same result and in. some instances be found more desirable.

In Figs. 9 and 10 I show a stamp having a cushion of greater relative depth and so much reduced in size at its center by the inwardlyinclining angles as to give sufficient flexibility to permit the die to conform to the plane of the surface being printed upon when the stamp is not accurately guided by the hand. The ends are also angled like the sides.

In Fig. 8 I illustrate a modification, it being a cushion formed in steps, and it will readily be seen that this construction, as well as the straight flare, may be formed in one piece or of separate and of independent layers of elastic material.

While I prefer that the cushion be 'constructed of rubbersponge or similar material or constructed as shown in Letters Patent heretofore issued to me for improvement in cushions for hand-stamps, it will readily be seen that any suitable elastic material, may be employed, and if it be so constructed as to have less backing at the edges than toward the central portion of the die the desired result will be accomplished.

In some instances I construct the cushions so that they flare at all their edges, while in others this becomes unnecessary, and as generally used the flaring at the sides is found suf ficient, as the stamp is usually applied with one of the long sides toward the operator, and in cushions which may conveniently have square ends, I in some instances manufacture the cushion in long strips and of various widths, so that the retailer, who usually assembles the mount-die and cushion as ordered by the customer, may cutfrom the strip lengths suitable for the die and mount for which it is intended, thus providing a cheap and serviceable cushion which may be applied to both metal and Wood mounts of various styles, sizes, and constructions.

As shown in the drawings, the upper and lower faces of the cushion are continuous plane surfaces to afford convenient and ready means of connection and adhesion to the attached elements.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An elastic cushion for rubber stamps consisting of a piece of elastic material having a smooth continuous plane upper surface and its under or die-attaching face acontinuous plane surface of greater area than the body above and adjacent to said die-attaching face, substantially as described.

2. An elastic cushion for rubber handstamps, consisting of an elastic body formed with its sides inclined inwardly from the base upward.

3. An elastic cushion for rubber handstamps, consisting of an elastic body formed with its sides and ends inclined inwardly from its base upward.

4. An elastic cushion for rubber handstamps, consisting of an elastic body formed with its sides inclined inward from its base and flared outward from the top of said inclines.

RICHARD HALE SMITH.

Witnesses:

S. SWEENEY, ALLEN WEBs'rER. 

